Here Comes the Sol

Rebranded San Antonio hotel debuts with new Cajun restaurant and cafe

Sol Cypress is celebrating its grand opening on March 19. Sol Cypress/marriott.com

A San Antonio hotel has undergone an $11 million renovation over the past two years, and it's now ready to make it s debut. Sol Cypress, the first Tribute Portfolio Hotel by Marriott in the city, will celebrate its grand opening with a public event on March 19.

Locals might have known the property at 103 9th St. as the Wyndham Garden Inn. Another Wyndham hotel was recently reopened as the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk.

The new hotel is named for the Texas bald cypress trees that grow along the San Antonio River, including one new tree planted on the hotel's back patio "as a symbol of renewal" according to a news release. The hotel's design was a collaboration between DTM Architects and Los Angeles-based KNA Design.

After renovations, the hotel now features 131 rooms, a park for "furry companions," 4,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and a private event space called The Tree House that overlooks the river and the skyline.

Most notable for locals, a new restaurant and a cafe are moving in. The restaurant is called Roam & Range, and it will deliver a menu based on local restaurateur Mori Bagheri's "deep San Antonio roots and global culinary experiences," says the release. Bagheri is best-known as the owner of Bourbon Street Seafood Kitchen, which occupied the space before Roam & Range — so this is a new concept with some of the same leadership.

Roam & Range Sol Cypress Roam & Range combines classic New Orleans dishes with other world influences.Sol Cypress/marriott.com

Roam & Range is currently sharing lunch and dinner menus online, featuring a mix of American and Mediterranean classics. Prior guests of Bourbon Street will still get to enjoy Cajun dishes like gumbo, étouffée, and seafood pastas with Cajun seasoning.

RiverRun Café will serve lattes, cappuccinos, and macarons made in-house.

Although it is now under the Marriott umbrella, the property is locally owned by Paradigm Management, which is led by John Feik, Jr., and Tim Sanford.

“As part of the Tribute Portfolio, Sol Cypress maintains its own distinct identity while benefiting from Marriott’s exceptional standards and worldwide reach,” said hotel general manager Ashley Cerney-Ciomperlik. “This allows us to craft truly unique guest experiences infused with the local culture and spirit of San Antonio.”

The release does not give times for the grand opening event, but does share that the public is welcome to explore the property.

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Fried Chicken News

Houston chicken tender chain to open 3 locations in San Antonio

Urban Bird has been circling San Antonio for several months. Photo courtesy of Urban Bird

A new fried chicken restaurant is swooping into San Antonio: Called Urban Bird, it's bringing tenders and sandwiches to three new locations.

Two of the locations were already announced in July 2024: one at 22106 U.S. 281 N., Ste. 102 in Stone Oak, and one at 8802 Potranco Rd., Ste. 111. The Stone Oak location is projected to open first, in April. That's followed by Potranco location in June and the newly added third in August, at 17603 La Cantera Pkwy., Ste. 119.

Although it's been a while since the news first landed, the restaurant appears to be only about a month or two behind schedule. The two previously announced locations were originally expected to open in March 2025.

Urban Bird is a chicken tenders concept with increasing levels of heat. Signature items include: the tender basket, with two tenders, bread, choice of side, pickles, and Bird Sauce for $12.75; and the Sando combo, with two tenders on a toasted bun with kale slaw, Bird Sauce, and pickles, for $15.75.

The concept was founded in Houston by husband-and-wife duo Brandon and Chantel Gawthorp, who opened the first location in Katy in 2020. They've since opened 14 locations across Texas, including in Fulshear, Houston, Spring, College Station, and San Marcos.

Alongside the debut San Antonio locations, it is also opening its first stores in Dallas-Fort Worth.

One notable menu item is the Urban Fries, like a loaded fries topped with a tender and mac and cheese; it started as a limited-edition item before getting bumped up to permanent status.

The Urban Fries became the inspiration and centerpiece for a companion ghost kitchen they founded called Chronic Fries, which is housed within each restaurant, featuring street-food-style fries topped with chicken and ingredients such as mac and cheese or elote.

“Coming off COVID, a lot of people were doing virtual restaurants, so the different fry options came from creating different combinations that would work for that concept," Brandon says.

“We’re kind of running out of room in Houston,” he continues. "We go into a lot of second generation locations where previous restaurants have closed so we can move quicker with the equipment that’s already in there."

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